1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to keyboards and displays for computing devices. More specifically, the invention relates to an ergonomic keyboard on a computing device that mimics a physical keyboard.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many small computing devices, especially handheld devices such as cell phones, presently have ergonomic and technical drawbacks with respect to text entry or text input. Mobile fold-up keyboards or keyboards that roll up, for example, have proven to be too cumbersome for many users or simply viewed as extra peripherals that have to be carried with the user and, as such, are inconvenient. Or they may be seen as too expensive. Some do not have a natural or user-friendly feel, such as not providing some type of feedback to the user, especially a depression of a key when pressed on. For example, a keyboard may be projected on a hard surface and have a conventional size, but typing on a flat, inflexible surface does not feel natural to many users. The rigidity of a table is not comfortable for most users for normal typing. Projected keyboards also require that the user keep fingers lifted above the surface, that is, ensure that there is no contact between the fingers and the surface. In another example, many handheld devices have dynamic touch screen displays where the display changes depending on the mode or function of the device. In text-entry mode, the display may show a keyboard. However, the keyboard is on a flat, inflexible surface that is rigid and provides no feedback to the user. These types of keyboards that are displayed on dynamic displays are also often uncomfortable for users to use for entering text or typing on.
Other keyboards that do not have these specific drawbacks (keys that do not depress, lack of user feedback, etc.) are often small or require that the keyboard slide out or be revealed by moving another part of the device or phone, thereby essentially changing the mechanical configuration of the device each time a user needs to enter text. Small keyboards on many handset devices are difficult for users to use accurately and efficiently. The keys may be too small or hard to read. They may also require character sharing (i.e., a single key may be used for two or more characters/symbols) which makes it difficult for users to type quickly and accurately. The keyboards often become too complex for many users and the intuitive feel of the conventional QWERTY keyboard is lost. Installing or incorporating a larger keyboard into a handheld device to avoid having to use some type of peripheral and to make it easier to type, quickly leads to manufacturing cost issues.
Thus, it would be desirable to have a keyboard on a dynamic display of a handheld or mobile device that provides feedback to the user in the form of a key depression when a key is pressed, as is nearly always the case with a conventional keyboard.